Cement post.



No. 758,707. PATENTED MAYS, 1904. F. A. SIGKLESTEEL & G. W. BALLARD.

CEMENT POST.

APPLIGATION TILED D20. 29, 1903.

INVENTORS M14 N0 MODEL.

ATTOR N EY UNITED STATES Patented May 3, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK ABRAM SICKLESTEEL AN 1) CHARLES WESLEY BALLARD, OF NO RTH BRANCH, MlCHI 1 AN CEMENT POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,707, dated May 3, 1904.

Application filed December 29, 1903.

To (all 21/71/0112, it 77I/(Z'L7/ concern; l

Be it known that we, FRANK ABRAM SICKLE- l srnnr. and CHARLES \VEsLnY BALLARI), citizens of the United States, residing at N orthbranch, in the county of Lapeer and State of b'lichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cement Posts; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in fence-posts made of cement and like material.

The object of the present improvement is to provide means whereby staples or similar devices may be easily and quickly secured to a cement post. enabling the fence-wires to be firmly secured to the post.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichliigure 1 is a perspective view of a post broken away in part embodying our improvement. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a metal socket and a staple in position to enter the socket. Figs. 3 and 1 are modified forms of sockets.

As is clearly shown in the drawings, the device consists in a socketl, preferably made of a sheet of metal bent upon itself to form a fiatted tube, one end of which is closed to exclude the cement while forming the post. The end is preferably closed by pressing together the two sides of the socket, as shown in Figs. and 1. The socket is preferably embedded in the cement of the post before it hardens. This may be done by securing it to the form in which the post is molded, so that the socket will be embedded in the face of the finished post, as shown in Fig. 1, with its open end 1 flush with the face 2 of the post and its inner end 1" embedded in the postat right angles to the face 2. In order to more firmly anchor the socket 1 in the post, we prefer to bend or flare the inner end 1". This may be done in any suitable manner; but a very satisfactory and inexpensive expedient is to slit the socket a short distance from its flatted end and to bend the ends 1 outwardly, as shown in Fig.

Serial No. 187,055. (No model;)

3. Another means for securing the socket in place is illustrated in Fig. at, where 1 1 are indentations formed in the side of the socket 1 to provide a more secure anchorage in the cement. The owrlapping edges 1 of the plate may be fastened together, if desired; but we find in practice that it is preferable to simply overlap them without fastening, as this gives more elasticity to the side of the socket and enables it to grip the staple more firmly. The staple, which is preferably of any of the common forms now on the market, is first passed over the fence-wire 2 and then driven into the socket 1, by which it is firmly gripped and held in place. The metal socket forms an intcgral part with the completed post, serving both as a core to form the opening for the staple and as an elastic shell, which not only prevents the cement from coming in contact with the staple, but also has suflicient elastic grip to firmly hold the staple in place.

'hile we prefer for convenience in manufacturing to close the inner end of the socket to exclude the cement, as above described,we do not desire to limit ourselves to this specific construction, as other means for closing the inner end of the socket to prevent entrance of cement may be employedas, for instance, by a plug fitted into the socket to be withdrawn when the cement hardens or any other practicable means.

\Vhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A post formed of cement-like material, provided with sockets adapted to receive staples, said sockets comprising flatted tubes embedded in the post, the inner ends of said tubes being embedded in and surrounded by the material of the post.

2. A post formed of cement-like material provided with sockets adapted to receive staples, said sockets comprising flatted tubes embedded in the post, the inner ends of said tubes being closed to exclude cement.

3. A post formed of cement-like material, provided with sockets adapted to receive staplcs, said sockets comprising 'fiattcd sheetmetal tubes embedded in the post, the sides of the inner ends of said tubes being pressed ets having their inner ends bent laterally to together, Substantially as described. form an anchorage in the post.

4. A post formed of cement-like material In testimony whereof we afliX our signatures provided With sockets adapted to receive stain presence of two Witnesses.

5 t g g Set ed; e b p CHARLES WESLEY BALLARD.

5. A post formed of cement-like material Witnesses: provided With metal sockets embedded in the F. C. BALLARD,

IO post and adapted to receive staples, said sock- E. M. BALLARD. 

